Containers



1967 T. TURNBULL |v CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 1'7, 1965 //v vz/vron THOMAS TUR/VBULL l V ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,355,087 CONTAINERS- Thomas Turnbull IV, 11 Kingsway, Mobile, Ala. 36608 Filed Nov. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 508,267 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-40) ABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE A return mail container having one panel provided with a mailing address on one side and a return address on the other, and another panel connected to the one panel by an integral side wall, complementary side wall flaps and locking tabs on the edges of the panels. At least two of the side wall flaps being on the other panel. Button and string securing means may be provided in a manner to be usable in either outgoing or return mailing. of the container.

This invention relates to a box or carton, especially to a reversible and reusable box to be used to mail material back and forth between two addressees.

It has become usual for people to have devices known as tape recorders that will both record on a magnetic tape the voice of a speaker speaking into a microphone, and also play the recordings that have been placed on such a tape.

Persons who might correspond by letter often would rather hear the voice of their correspondent especially if the correspondence is between parent and child, or between lovers.

In order to provide for correspondence by magnetic tape (or similarly by moving picture film) it is desirable to have a mailing receptacle into which the reel can be inserted by the correspondent at each end with a minimum of time expended, and a maximum of security of the box contents.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a reusable mailing box especially for repeated use between two addressees.

It is a further object to provide such a box that is economical to manufacture, and reliable in use.

It is a yet further object to provide suoh a box that can be securely fastened against inadvertent opening, yet be easily opened by the recipient.

Other and further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawing in which like characters of reference refer to similar parts in the several views and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view of one side of the box blank complete, before being folded into a box;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the other side of the blank;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective of the back of the box assembled showing a securement in use.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the box in use with a different securement.

From FIGURES 1 and 2 it will be seen that an address, or front panel 1 is provided on each face with appropriate indicia designating the addressees between whom the box is to be mailed. Panel 1 is attached to back panel 2 by a side wall 6 that is of a width to accommodate the thickness of the intended contents, which, as an illustration, may be one or more reels of magnetic tape.

Eaoh of the other three edges of each of the panels are provided with side wall flaps or with locking tabs to close and secure three sides of the box in place.

To form the blank into a box it is necessary to provide three side walls in addition to side wall 6. These side walls are provided by side wall flaps 3, 4, and that extend the 3,355,087 Patented Nov. 28, 1967 full length of a side of a panel 1, or 2. Side wall flaps 3 and 4 project from panel 1, while side Wall flap 5 extends from panel 2. By having this arrangement there is but one corner of panel 2, and nocorner of panel 1 that is not reinforced by an adjacent wall flap bent at right angles along the edge of the panel. Extensions or flap tucks 3', 4, and 5 on each of the side Wall flaps 3, 4 and 5 respectively are provided to be tucked into the box to help hold side wall flaps 3, 4 and 5- in place.

Side wall flaps 3, 4 and Storming the three sides of the closed box are locked into place by locking tabs 3a, 3a, 4a, 4a and 5a, 5a that are wrapped about the wall portions 3, 4 and 5 respectively, and the ends 3a, 4a and 5a are inserted into slits cut at the fold line between panel 1 and flaps :3 and 4 and between panel 2 and flap 5. Extensions 3a, 4a and 5a may be designated as tab tucks.

This would ordinarily leave a corner of panel 2 be tween locking tabs 4a, 4a and 3a, 3a, that would be easily caught on other parcels, for instance in a mail bag, that might cause inadvertent opening of the container. This corner is, however, cut off so that the panel 2 is securely held down by locking tabs 31:, 3a and 4a, 4a.

It will be noted, in FIGURE 3 that the tucked in end part 4' of side wall flap 4 is exposed by the cutting 01f of the corner of panel 2. This is because wall flap 3, has its end 3 tucked behind the end part 4'.

A securing means may be provided as seen in FIGURE 3 securing panel 2 to the end 4' of side wall flap 4. This securing means may be of any desired kind but is shown as including button 7 on one side of panel 2 and button 7' 0n the other side of panel 2, a string 8 is secured by the means that secures the buttons to the panel 2. A similar set of buttons 9 and 9' are mounted on end portion 4 of side wall flap 4, and, when folded into box form, the string 8 may be wound about buttons 7' and 9' or about buttons 7 and 9, according to the side of panel 1 that is presented outwardly, to secure the box against separation. End 4' may be considerably longer than shown so that the long edge and the free corner of the portion 4' will be entirely hidden by panel 2, that is, 4' will extend down to locking tab 3a when the box is erected.

The securement of FIGURE 3 still provides for postal inspection as the locking tab 5a can be released and wall 5 folded outwardly, this manipulation is fairly diflicult whereas, upon release of the securing string 8, the locking tabs 4a and 3a are far more easily unlocked.

Where the correspondence is to be sealed within the box, as in first class mail, buttons similar to 7a are placed squarely in the center of each side of panels 2 and 1 respectively. The string 8 is long enough to go twice around the erected box and leave an end that may be sealed against the box either by the postage stamps used, or by a separate wafer. The buttons 7a, and the button on the opposite face of panel 2 in FIGURE 4 must then be mounted by an eyelet or grommet so that, upon reversal of the box the string 8 can be passed through the grommet to be accessible on the then outside of the box.

The string 8 is then led from button 7a to a button at tne center of panel 1 over one side of the box and after a turn around that button is led back to and around button 7a over a second side of the box, where it is again passed around the button on the face of panel 1. It is not essential to pass the string 8 over the side, or wall, 6 as that side or wall of the box does not open anyhow, so the string may be a little over one and a half girths of the box in length. The end of the string may then be secured in place by a seal or wafer.

It will be clear that boxes of five, six, or more sides may be provided, the front and back panels being connected in the blank by one side wall, and the other side walls com- 3 prising side wall flaps with appropriate flap tucks, and locking tabs with tab tucks.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A return mail container comprising a blank, including a front panel having two faces each carrying an address, a rear panel having two faces, said rear panel being generally complementary in shape to said front panel, one side wall connected by reversible fold lines to corresponding edges of said front and said rear panels, a first side wall flap secured to said rear panel .by a reversible fold along an edge of said first side wall flap adjacent said one side wall, two second side wall flaps secured to edges of said front panel by reversible fold lines each said side Wall flap having a tuck portion, complementary locking tabs on a complementary edge of each said panel opposite each of said first and second side wall flaps, on the other said panel to engage about and secure said corresponding side wall flap in place, the corner of said rear panel remote from said side wall, and from said side wall fia-p, secured to said rear panel being cut ofi along a line extending between the locking tabs.

2. The container of claim 1 in which securing means are provided including a button and string means having one button mounted on each face of said front panel and one button mounted on each face of each rear panel, whereby an exterior button is available on each panel regardless of which faces of the panels face outwardly.

3. The container of claim 1 in which securing means are provided including a button and string means one button mounted on each side of the flap tuck portion of one side wall flap extending from the edge of said front tab, and one button mounted on each face of said rear panel adjacent said buttons mounted on said wall flap tuck when said container is in erected condition said rear panel having a portion cut away to expose said button on said flap tuck.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,481,288 9/1949 Cage 22939 2,582,422 1/1952 Ewald 206--52 2,792,981 5/1957 Grammer 2294() DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner. 

1. A RETURN MAIL CONTAINER COMPRISING A BLANK, INCLUDING A FRONT PANEL HAVING TWO FACES EACH CARRYING AN ADDRESS, A REAR PANEL HAVING TWO FACES, SAID REAR PANEL BEING GENERALLY COMPLEMENTARY IN SHAPE TO SAID FRONT PANEL, ONE SIDE WALL CONNECTED BY REVERSIBLE FOLD LINES TO CORRESPONDING EDGES OF SAID FRONT AND REAR PANELS, A FIRST SIDE WALL FLAP SECURED TO SAID REAR PANEL BY REVERSIBLE FOLD ALONG AN EDGE OF SAID FIRST SIDE WALL FLAP ADJACENT SAID ONE SIDE WALL, TWO SECOND SIDE WALL FLAPS SECURED TO EDGES OF SAID FRONT PANEL BY REVERSIBLE FOLD LINES EACH SAID SIDE WALL FLAP HAVING A TUCK PORTION, COMPLEMENTARY LOCKING TABS ON A COMPLEMENTARY EDGE OF EACH SAID PANEL OPPOSITE EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SIDE WALL FLAPS, ON THE OTHER SAID PANEL TO ENGAGE ABOUT AND SECURE SAID CORRESPONDING SIDE WALL FLAP IN PLACE, THE CORNER OF SAID REAR PANEL REMOTE FROM SAID SIDE WALL, AND FROM SAID SIDE WALL FLAP, SECURED TO SAID REAR PANEL BEING CUT OFF ALONG A LINE EXTENDING BETWEEN THE LOCKING TABS. 